Reprint for Printing 120519

FOREWORD

The Philippine Official Reference for Forest-
Related Terms and Definitions was published in
March 2006 as the final output of the International
Tropical Timber Organization-funded project entitled
‘Harmonization of Forest-Related Terms and
Definitions’. It is a compilation of commonly used
terminologies and definitions in the forestry sector
and academe that are in accordance with
international standards to make data consistent and
comparable with data from other countries and other
agencies producing the same statistics.

The limited hard copies of the original version of
the said booklet were already distributed to field
implementers along with other stakeholders and
practitioners. Thus, this booklet is published as the
2019 Edition Reprint. It is a pocket-sized book,
designed to be handy and portable for ready
reference.

We hope that this publication will serve as a good
reference for various stakeholders in making plans
and decisions relevant to sustainable management of
the forests.

FOR. NONITO M. TAMAYO, CESO IV
Director





1 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

| 2Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

A

ADHESIVE
A substance capable of holding materials together by
surface attachment.

Reference: Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources
Research and Development. 1999. Philippine Recommends for Veneer and Plywood,
Laguna, Philippines.

AESTHETIC VALUE
Value of appreciating forest landscapes and amenities
that contribute to the art and a person's spiritual,
psychological and physical well-being.

Reference: DENR Forest Management Bureau. Harmonization Project. Forest
Services Group. 2004.

AFFORESTATION
Artificial establishment of forest on lands previously not
covered with forest vegetation.

Reference: FAO. 2001. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 Main Report. FAO
Forestry Paper No. 140. Rome.

AGRARIAN REFORM COMMUNITY
A barangay or a cluster of contiguous barangays with a
critical mass of farmers or farm workers wherein the
main thrust of agrarian development - land tenure
improvement and effective delivery of support services
- is being implemented.

Reference: RA 8435. Agricultural Fisheries Modernization Act. 1997.

AGRICULTURAL LAND
Land devoted to agricultural activity as defined in
RA 6657 (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program
Law of 1988) and not classified as mineral, forest,
residential, commercial, or residential land.

Reference: RA 6657 Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Law. 1998.

3 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
Engaged in the cultivation of soil, planting of crops,
growing of fruit trees, raising of livestock, poultry, or
fish, including the harvesting and marketing of such
farm products, and other farm activities and practices.

Reference: National Economic and Development Authority. 2002. National
Framework for Physical Planning, Manila.

AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES MODERNIZATION
The process of transforming agriculture and fisheries
into dynamic, technologically-advanced and competitive
sectors centered on human development, and guided by
sound practices of sustainability and principles of social
justice.

Reference: RA 8435. Agricultural Fisheries Modernization Act. 1997.

AGRO-CLIMATIC ZONE (ACZ)
A generally uniform climate with respect to the
distribution, temperature, radiation and rainfall/
evapotranspiration over the year. Also refers to similar
rainfall regime.

Reference: International Training Center. International Training Center Manual.

AGROFOREST
An area that is broadly characterized by combining
agricultural crops with forest crops simultaneously or
sequentially over time through the application of
management practices that are compatible with the
local climate, topography and slope.

Reference: Proposed Sustainable Forest Management Act. 1999.

AGROFORESTRY
Sustainable management of land, which increases their
productivity by properly combining agricultural crops
with forest crops simultaneously or sequentially over
time through the application of management practices
which are compatible with the local climate, topography
and slope.

Reference: Proposed Sustainable Forest Management Act. 1999.

| 4Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

AIR DRIED
Lumber or other forest products dried under ambient
atmospheric conditions. A condition of dryness of
lumber or other wood products that have been dried by
exposure to prevailing atmospheric conditions,
outdoors or in an unheated shed. Also called sun dried.

Reference: Australian Standard/New Zealand Standard 4491. 1997.

AIR SHED
Areas with common weather or meteorological
condition and sources of air pollution which affect the
interchange and diffusion of pollution in the
surrounding atmosphere.

Reference: DENR Environmental Management Bureau. 1999. Manual of Monitoring
Station. Manila.

ALIEN SPECIES
Species that have been transported by human activity,
intentional or accidental, into a region where it does not
naturally occur. Also called introduced, exotic, non-
indigenous or non-native Species.

Reference: Convention on Biodiversity 1993. Philippine Biodiversity Assessment.
Manila.

ALIENABLE AND DISPOSABLE LAND
Land of the public domain, which has been classified
and declared as such and available for disposition.

Reference: (1) PD 705. Revising PD 389 Otherwise Known as the Revised Forestry
Code of the Philippines. 1975. (2) Commonwealth Act 141. Public Land Act. 1945.

ALLOWABLE CUT
Volume of materials, whether of wood or non-wood
products, that is authorized to be cut or harvested
regularly from a forest.

Reference: PD 1559. Further Amending PD 705 or the Revised Forestry Code of the
Philippines. 1978.

ALMACIGA RESIN
See Manila Copal.

5 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

AMENITY
A non-marketable environmental benefit such as beauty
and tranquility.

Reference: Gilpin, A. 1996. Dictionary of Environment and Sustainable Development.
England. John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

ANCESTRAL DOMAIN
Area generally belonging to indigenous cultural
communities/ indigenous peoples (ICCs/IPs)
comprising lands, inland waters, coastal areas
occupied or possessed by ICCs/IPs, by themselves or
through their ancestors, communally or individually
since time immemorial, continuously to the present
except when interrupted by war, force majeure,
deceit, stealth, as a consequence of government
projects or any other voluntary dealings entered into
by government and private individuals/corporations,
and which are necessary to ensure their economic,
social and cultural welfare.

Reference: RA 8371. Indigenous People's Right Act. 1997.

ANCESTRAL LAND
Land, subject to property rights within the ancestral
domain already existing and/or vested upon the
effectivity of the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of
1997, occupied, possessed and utilized by individuals,
families, clans who are members of the ICCs/IPs since
time immemorial, by themselves or through their
predecessors-in-interest, under a claim of individual or
traditional group ownership, continuously to the
present except when interrupted by war, force majeure,
deceit, stealth, or as a consequence of government
projects and other voluntary dealings entered into by
the government and private individuals/corporations,
including, but not limited to, residential lots, rice
terraces or paddies, private forests, and tree lots.

Reference: RA 8371. Indigenous People's Right Act. 1997.

| 6Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

ANNUAL CROPLAND
Land cultivated with crops with a growing cycle of up to
one year, which must be newly sown or planted for
further production after harvesting.

Reference: FAO. 2000. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000. Rome.

ANNUAL LOG REQUIREMENT (ALR)
Volume of log needed to sustain the operation of a
wood processing plant at full or attainable capacity for a
period of one year.

Reference: DENR Environmental Management Bureau. 2002. Philippine Forestry
Statistics. Manila.

ANNUAL PLANT
Plant species that completes its life cycle within 12
months from the date of germination.

Reference: Choudhurry, K. & L. Jansen. 1998. Terminology for Integrated Resources
Planning and Management. Rome. FAO.

ANTI-STAIN CHEMICAL
A substance applied to lumber and other wood products
in order to prevent chemical and/or fungus stain
discoloration.

Reference: PCARRD. 1999. Philippine Recommends for Lumber. Laguna, Philippines.

AQUIFER
A layer of water-bearing rock located underground that
transmits water in sufficient quantity to supply pumping
wells or natural springs.

Reference: RA 9275. Philippine Clean Water Act. 2004.

ASSISTED NATURAL REGENERATION
The process of rehabilitating denuded forest lands by
taking advantage of trees already growing in the area.
This usually involves the following activities: locating
and releasing indigenous trees, maintenance, and
augmentation planting and protection.

Reference: DAO 1991-31. Revised Guidelines for Contract Reforestation. 1991.

7 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

B

BALAU
Resin obtained from apitong (Dipterocarpus grandiflorus)
and panau (D. gracilis)

Reference: West, A P. & W H. Brown. 1920 Philippine Resins, Gums and Essential
Oils. DANR Bureau of Forest Bulletin #22. Reprinted 1953. Manila.

BAMBOO
Perennial giant grass belonging to the family Poaceae
that is either erect or climbing. Generally used for
weaving, handicraft manufacture, and house
construction.

Reference: DENR Forest Management Bureau. Harmonization Project. Forest
Products Group. 2004.

BAMBOO/PALM FORMATION
Forest on which more than 75 percent of crown cover
consists of bamboo/palm species.

Reference: FAO. 2001. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 Main Report. FAO
Forestry Paper No. 140. Rome.

BARE AREA
Land not covered by (semi-) natural or artificial cover.
This includes among others, sand dunes, river wash,
lahar-laden areas and rocky or stony areas.

Reference: FAO. 2001. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 Main Report. FAO
Forestry Paper No. 140. Rome.

BARK
All tissues outside the wood (xylem) cylinder.

Reference: DENR Forest Management Bureau. Harmonization Project. Forest
Products Group. 2004.

BASAL AREA
The sum of the outside bark cross-sectional area at
breast height or above buttress as the case may be of all
trees in a given area.

Reference: DAO 1993-60. Revised Regulations and Guidelines Governing the
Establishment and Management of Industrial Forest Plantations and Management of
Residual Natural Forests for Production Purposes. 1993.

| 8Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

BASIN
Synonymous to Watershed.

BEACH FOREST
A narrow strip of woodland along the sandy and
gravelly beaches of the seacoast dominated by
Terminalia catappa, Casuarina equisetifolia, Barringtonia
asiatica, Soneratia caseolaris, Acacia farnesiana and
Erythrina orientalis.

Reference: FAO. 2001. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 Main Report. FAO
Forestry Paper No. 140. Rome.

BENTWOOD
Curved wood formed by steaming or boiling the wood
and bending it to form.

Reference: US Department of Agriculture. Revised 1987 USDA Forest Products
Laboratory Wood Handbook: Wood as an engineering material. Agricultural
Handbook 72, p 466. Washington, DC.

BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
The variability among living organisms from all sources
including terrestrial, marine and aquatic ecosystems and
ecological complexes of which they are part. This
includes diversity within species, between species and
of ecosystems.

Reference: (1) Convention on Biodiversity. 1993. Philippine Biodiversity Assessment.
Manila. (2) EFI-CFTD. Internal Report No. 6 (3) EO 247. Prescribing the Guidelines
and Establishing a regulatory Framework for the Prospecting of Biological and
Generic Resources, their By-Products and Derivatives, for Scientific and Commercial
Purposes and other Purposes. 1995.

BIOLOGICAL PROSPECTING
The research, collection and utilization of biological and
genetic resources for purposes of applying knowledge
derived solely for commercial purposes. Also known as
bioprospecting.

Reference: RA 9147 or Wildlife Conservation Act. 2001.

9 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

BIOLOGICAL RESOURCE
Includes genetic resources, organism or parts thereof,
population, or any other biotic component of
ecosystems with actual or potential use or value to
humanity.

Reference: (1) EO 247. Prescribing the Guidelines and Establishing a regulatory
Framework for the Prospecting of Biological and Generic Resources, their By-
Products and Derivatives, for Scientific and Commercial Purposes and other
Purposes. 1995. (2) EFI-CFTD. Internal Report No. 6.

BIOMASS
The amount of living matter expressed in terms of
weight per unit area or unit volume of water. It is total
mass of life in an ecosystem at any given time. It is an

indicator of the productivity of the ecosystem.

Reference: Ashton-Jones, Nick J. 2001. Ecological Glossary for Protected Area
Managers. Essentials of Protected Area Management in the Philippines. Vol. 3.
NIPAP, PAWB-DENR. Philippines.

BIOME
A regional ecosystem with distinct assemblage of
vegetation, animals, microbes and physical environment
often reflecting a certain climate and soil.

Reference: Helms, J. A. 1998. The Dictionary of Forestry. Society of American
Foresters.

BIOTECHNOLOGY
Any technological application that uses biological
systems, living organisms or derivatives thereof, to
make or modify products or processes for specific use.

Reference: EO 247. Prescribing the Guidelines and Establishing a regulatory
Framework for the Prospecting of Biological and Generic Resources, their By-
Products and Derivatives, for Scientific and Commercial Purposes and other
Purposes. 1995.

BIOTIC FACTOR
The influence exerted on a habitat by the plant and
animal organisms that inhabit an area. Biotic influence
includes grazing, tramping, manuring, predation,
parasitism, migration and territorial behavior patterns of
animals.

Reference: DENR. Policy and Planning Office. 2006.

| 10Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

BIRD'S EYE
Small localized area in wood with the fibers indented
and otherwise contorted to form few to many circular
or elliptical figures remotely resembling bird's eyes on
the tangential surface.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland.

BLEMISH
In grading lumber, anything marring the appearance of
wood.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland.

BLISTER
Bulges on the surface of panel products due to local
bond failures.

Reference: Marra, A. A. 1992. Technology of Wood Bonding: Principles and Practice.

BLOCKBOARD
Synonymous to Plyboard.

BOARD FOOT (Bd. Ft.)
A unit of measurement represented by a board 1 inch
thick, 12 inches wide and 12 inches (1 foot) long.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland.

BOLE
The stem or trunk of a tree of size sufficient to yield
lumber, veneer or poles.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland.

BOLT
A short section of tree trunk or limb; a short log of a
length suitable for peeling in a lathe for veneer.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland.

11 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

BOTANICAL GARDEN
Establishment where a collection of wild flora is
maintained for recreational, educational, research,
conservation or scientific purposes.

Reference: RA 9147. Wildlife Conservation Act. 2001.

BOULE
A unedged lumber produced from a log, which has been
live-sawn without passing through the edger and
stickered back into its approximate original form.

Reference: DAO 1987-72. Guidelines in the Production and Exportation of Boules.
1987.

BOW
The distortion of a piece of lumber in which there is a
deviation in a direction perpendicular to the flat face
from a straight line from end to end of the piece.

Reference: USDA. Revised 1987 USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood
Handbook: Wood as an engineering material. Agricultural Handbook 72, p 466.
Washington, DC.

BRASH CENTER
The defective core of a log, characterized by abnormal
brittleness, which occurs in certain species of tropical
hardwoods. Also known as Brittle Heart.

Reference: Malayan Grading Rules

BROADLEAVED FOREST
Forest with a predominance (more than 75 percent of
tree crown cover) of trees of broadleaved species.

Reference: FAO. 2001. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 Main Report. FAO
Forestry Paper No. 140. Rome

BROWN ROT
Any decay in which the attack concentrates on the
cellulose and associated carbohydrates rather than on
the lignin, producing a light to dark brown friable
residue.

Reference: USDA. Revised 1987 USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood
Handbook: Wood as an engineering material. Agricultural Handbook 72, p 466.
Washington, DC.

| 12Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

BRUSHLAND
An area characterized by discontinuous cover of
shrubby and non-wood vegetation including grasses.

Reference: DENR Environmental Management Bureau. 1992. Philippine Forestry
Statistics. Manila.

BUFFER ZONE
Identified area outside the boundaries of and
immediately adjacent to designated protected areas
that needs special development control in order to
avoid or minimize harm to the protected area. The
buffer zone of twenty meters from the riverbank or
lakeshore or seashore.

Reference: RA 7586. NIPAS ACT. 1992.

BUHO
A bamboo species having an erect and thin-walled culm
and used (by paper mills in the manufacture of bleach
paper) for sawali making, basketry, fences, musical
instruments, etc. Scientific name: Schizostachyum
lumampao.

Reference: DENR Forest Management Bureau. 1992. Philippine Forestry Statistics.
Manila. (2) PCARRD. R&D Status and Directions (2000 and Beyond): Bamboo and
Rattan, p. 48. Laguna, Philippines.

BUILT-UP AREA
Composed of areas of intensive use with much of the
land covered by structures. It includes cities, towns,
villages, strip developments along highways,
transportation, power, and communication, facilities,
and areas occupied by mills, shopping centers, etc.

Reference: FAO. 2000. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000. Rome.

BURI
The largest native palm species found in the Philippines,
with trunks attaining a diameter of 1 meter, height of
20 meters, and with large fan-shaped leaves from which
buri braids and raffia are made. Scientific Name:
Corypha elata.

Reference: Palisoc, J.G. 2005. Personal Communication.

13 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

BURI BRAIDS
Interwoven buri leaves, usually bundled in 3 strips, used
as raw material for the manufacture of hats, mats, bags,
baskets, etc.

Reference: Palisoc, J.G. 2005. Personal Communication.

BURI RAFFIA
Very fine white fibers produced from stripping the
young stalks of unopened buri leaves.

Reference: Palisoc, J.G. 2005. Personal Communication.

BURL
A swirl or twist in the grain of wood that usually occurs
near a knot but does not contain a knot.

Reference: National Hardwood Lumber Association. 1990. Rules for the
Measurement and Inspection of Hardwood & Cypress. Tennessee.

BY-PRODUCT
Any part taken from wildlife species such as meat,
hides, antlers, feathers, leather, fur, internal organs,
bones, roots, trunks, barks, petioles, leaf fibers,
branches, leaves, stems, flowers, scales, scutes, shells,
coral parts, carapace and the like, or whole dead body
of wildlife in its preserved/stuffed state, including
compounds indirectly produced in a bio-chemical
process or cycle.

Reference: RA 9147. Wildlife Resources Convention and Protection Act.
Implementing Rules and Regulations 2001.

| 14Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

C

CAMBIUM
The layer of cells that lies between the inner bark and
the wood of a tree, that repeatedly subdivides to form
new wood and bark cells.

Reference: USDA. Revised 1987 USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood
Handbook: Wood as an engineering material. Agricultural Handbook 72, p 466.
Washington, DC. (2) American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of
ASTM Standards - Volume 04.10. Maryland.

CANOPY
A continuous cover of branches and foliage formed
collectively by the crowns of adjacent trees consisting
of one or several layers.

Reference: (1) Canadian Forestry Service Science and Technology Program.
Glossary of Terms. 2002. (2) Helms, J. A. 1998. Dictionary of Forestry. Society of
American Foresters.

CANT
A log that has been slabbed on one or more sides.

Reference: USDA. Revised 1987 USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood
Handbook: Wood as an engineering material. Agricultural Handbook 72, p 466.
Washington, DC.

CARBON EMISSION
The release of carbon from a source such as but not
limited to living organisms, fossils fuels, and volcanic
emissions into the atmosphere over a specified area and
period of time.

Reference: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 1992.

CARBON OFFSET
The result of any action specifically undertaken to
prevent the release of or to remove carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere in order to balance emissions
taking place elsewhere.

Reference: FAO. Expert Meeting on Harmonizing Forest-related Definitions. 2003.

15 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

CARBON RESERVOIR
A component of the climate system, other than the
atmosphere, which has the capacity to store,
accumulate or release a substance of concern, e.g.
carbon, a greenhouse gas or a precursor. Oceans, soils,
and forests are examples of reservoirs of carbon.

Reference: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Third Assessment Report on
Climate Change 2001: Mitigation and Synthesis Report.

CARBON SEQUESTRATION
The process of increasing the carbon content of a
carbon reservoir other than the atmosphere. Some
biological approaches to sequestration include direct
removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
through land-use change, afforestation, reforestation
and practices that enhance soil carbon in agriculture.
Some physical approaches include separation and
disposal of carbon dioxide from flue gases or from
processing fossil fuels to produce fractions and long-
term storage underground in depleted oil and gas
reservoirs, coal seams, and saline aquifers.

Reference: IPPC. Third Assessment Report on Climate Change 2001: Mitigation and
Synthesis Report.

CARBON SINK
A pool or reservoir that absorbs or takes up released
carbon from another part of the carbon cycle. For
example, if the net exchange between the biosphere
and the atmosphere is toward the atmosphere, the
biosphere is the source and the atmosphere is the sink.

Reference: United Nations. 1997. Glossary of Environment Statistics.

CARBON SOURCE
Any process or activity which releases greenhouse gas,
aerosol or a precursor of a greenhouse gas into the
atmosphere.

Reference: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 1992.

| 16Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

CARRYING CAPACITY
The amount of use an area can sustain for recreation,
wildlife, etc., without deteriorating its quality and
sustainability.

Reference: European Forest Institute. Country Dialogue Workshop Programme
Glossary of Terms. EFI-CFTD Internal Report No. 6

CASEHARDENING
A condition of stress and set in dry lumber
characterized by comprehensive stress in the outer
layers and tensile stress in the center or core.

Reference: USDA. Revised 1987 USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood
Handbook: Wood as an engineering material. Agricultural Handbook 72, p 466.
Washington, DC

CATALYST
A substance, usually present in small amounts relative
to the reactants, that modifies the rate of chemical
reaction without being consumed in the process.

Reference: USDA. Revised 1987 USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood
Handbook: Wood as an engineering material. Agricultural Handbook 72, p 466.
Washington, DC

CATCHMENT
Synonymous to Watershed.

CAVE
Any naturally occurring void, cavity, recess or system of
interconnected passages beneath the surface of the
earth or within a cliff or ledge and which is large enough
to permit an individual to enter, whether or not the
entrance is located either in private and public land.

Reference: DAO 2003-29. Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 9072 or
National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protect Act 2003.

CELLULOSE
A carbohydrate that is the principal constituent of wood
and forms the structural framework of wood cells.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland.

17 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

CERTIFICATE OF STEWARDSHIP
An agreement entered into by and between the
government and individuals/families actually occupying
or tilling portions of the forestlands covered by
community-based forest management agreement.

Reference: DAO 2004-29. Revised Rules and Regulations fir the Implementation of
Executive Order 263 or Community Based Forest Management Strategy. 2004.

CHARCOAL
A product obtained from the destructive distillation
and/or thermal degradation of wood.

Reference: DENR Forest Management Bureau, 2003. Philippine Forestry Statistics,
Manila.

CHECK
A separation of the wood along the fiber direction that
usually extends across the rings of annual growth and
commonly resulting from stresses set up in wood during
drying.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland.

CHEMICAL STAIN
Synonymous to Stain.

CHIP
A small fragment of wood chopped or broken by cuts
by a planer, chipper, mechanical hog, or hammer mill.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland.

CLEARCUTTING
The removal of all timber species on a designated forest
stands during one cutting season; usually prescribed for
the harvesting of plantations.

Reference: DAO 1993-28. Conduct Residual Forest Inventory in areas Logged by
Active TLA Holders within their Operable Second Growth Forests. 1993.

CLIMATE AMELIORATION
The positive influence of forest on the climate change.

Reference: DENR Forest Management Bureau. Harmonization Project. Forest
Services Group. 2004.

| 18Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

CLIMATE CHANGE
A condition attributed directly or indirect to human
activity that alters the composition of global
atmosphere and which is, in addition to natural climate
variability, observed over comparable time periods.

Reference: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 1992.

CLIMATE SYSTEM
The totality of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere
and geosphere and their interactions.

Reference: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 1992.

CLIMATE VARIABILITY
Variations in the mean state and other statistics (such as
standard deviation, the occurrence of extremes, etc.) of
the climate on all temporal and spatial scales beyond
that of individual weather events. Variability may be
due to natural internal process within the climate
system (internal variability), or to variations in natural or
anthropogenic external forces (external variability).

Reference: IPPC. Third Assessment Report on Climate Change 2001: The Scientific
Basis. Available at http://www.grida.no/cli mate/ipcc_tar/wgl/518.htm.

CLIMAX FOREST
The final stage of successional development on a forest
site under specific climatic and other environmental
conditions, leading to a more or less stable equilibrium
underlying only minor changes in species composition.

Reference: (1) FAO. 2000. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000. Rome. (2) EFI-
CFTD. Terms and Definitions in EFI-CFTD Internal Report No. 6.

CLOSED BROADLEAVED PLANTATION FOREST
Forest plantation where the crown cover is greater or
equal to 70% of the area.

Reference: FAO. 2000. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 Main Report. FAO
Forestry Paper No. 140. Rome.

19 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

CLOSED FOREST
Formation where tress in various storey and
undergrowth cover a high proportion (>40 percent) of
the ground and do not have a continuous dense grass
layer. They are either managed or unmanaged forests, in
advance state of succession and may have been logged
over one or more times, having kept their
characteristics of forest stands, possibly with modified
structure and composition.

Reference: FAO. 2001. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 Main Report. FAO
Forestry Paper No. 140. Rome.

COASTAL AREA
A band of dry land and adjacent ocean space (water and
submerged land) in which terrestrial processes affect
oceanic processes and uses and vice versa. Its
geographic extent may include areas within a land mark
limit of 1 kilometer from the shoreline at high tide to
include mangrove swamps, brackish water ponds, nipa
swamps, estuarine rivers, sandy beaches and other
areas within a seaward limit of 200 meters isobath to
include coral reefs, algal flats, seagrass beds, and other
soft bottom areas.

Reference: RA 8550. An Act Providing for the Development, Management and
Conservation of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Integrating All Laws Pertinent
Thereto, and for Other Purposes. 1998.

CO-DOMINANT TREES
Trees with crowns forming the general level of crown
cover and receiving full light from above but
comparatively little from the sides.

Reference: Siapno, I. B. 1970 Handbook on Selective Logging, Manila.

COLD SETTING ADHESIVES
An adhesive that sets without the application of heat or
that sets at a temperature below 20 degrees Celsius.

Reference: Sellers, T. 1985 Plywood and Adhesive Technology. Marcel Dekker
Publication.

| 20Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

COLLAPSE
The flattening of single cells or rows of cells during the
drying or pressure treatment of wood characterized by
a cave-in or corrugated appearance.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland.

COMMERCIALLY LESS ACCEPTED SPECIES
Timber which are less known or less accepted by end-
users especially in commerce and/or trade both locally
and internationally, because they are characterized by
incompleteness of information as to species
identification, available volume and end-use properties.

Reference: Rojo, J.P. 1990. The Commercially Less Accepted Species of Timbers:
Current Status. Philippine Lumberman 36 (7&8). Manila.

COMMUNAL FOREST
A tract of forest land set aside by the Secretary of the
DENR upon the recommendation of the concerned local
government unit for the use of the residents of a
municipality or city.

Reference: DENR-DILG Join Memorandum Circular 98- 01. Manual of Procedures
for DENR-LGU Partnership of Development and Other Forest Management
Functions. 1998.

COMMUNITY-BASED FOREST MANAGEMENT
AGREEMENT (CBFMA)

An agreement entered into by and between the
government and the local community, represented by
people's organization, as forest managers, which has a
term of twenty 25 years renewable for another twenty
25 years.

Reference: DAO 2004-29. Revised Rules and Regulations fir the Implementation of
Executive Order 263 or Community Based Forest Management Strategy. 2004.

COMMUNITY-BASED FOREST MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM (CBFMP)

Any forest development program which adopts the
CBFM strategy as its core concept.

Reference: IDAO 2004-29. Revised Rules and Regulations fir the Implementation of
Executive Order 263 or Community Based Forest Management Strategy. 2004.

21 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

COMMUNITY-BASED FOREST MANAGEMENT
STRATEGY (CBFMS)

The strategy to improve the well-being of forest-
dependent communities, and at the same time ensure
sustainable management, rehabilitation and protection
of forest lands and the resources therein, through the
active participation of various stakeholders.

Reference: DAO 2004-29. Revised Rules and Regulations fir the Implementation of
Executive Order 263 or Community Based Forest Management Strategy. 2004.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
FRAMEWORK

A strategic plan of the community on how to manage
and benefit from the forest resources on sustainable
basis. It describes the community's long-term visions,
aspirations, commitments and strategies for the
protection, rehabilitation, development and utilization
of forest resources.

Reference: DAO 2004-29. Revised Rules and Regulations fir the Implementation of
Executive Order 263 or Community Based Forest Management Strategy. 2004.

COMPRESSION WOOD
Abnormal wood formed on the lower side of branches
and inclined trunks of softwood trees.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland.

CONDITIONING
In wood seasoning, the exposure of wood to stipulated
conditions to attain the desired moisture content and
level of stress.

Reference: USDA. Revised 1987 USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood
Handbook: Wood as an engineering material. Agricultural Handbook 72, p 466.
Washington, DC.

CONIFEROUS FOREST
Forest with predominance (more than 75 percent of
tree crown cover) of trees of coniferous species.

Reference: FAO. 2001. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 Main Report. FAO
Forestry Paper No. 140. Rome.

| 22Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

CONIFEROUS WOOD
All woods derived from trees classified botanically as
Gymnospermae.

Reference: DENR Forest Management Bureau. 1992. Philippine Forestry Statistics.
Manila.

CONSERVATION
Protection of plant and animal habitat including the
management of renewable natural resource with the
objective of sustaining its productivity in perpetuity
while providing for human use compatible with
sustainability of the resource.

Reference: Helms, J. A. 1998. The Dictionary of Forestry. Society of American
Foresters.

CONSUMPTIVE USE OF WATER
The quantity of water transpired and evaporated from a
cropped area or the normal loss of water from the soil
by evaporation and plant transpiration.

Reference: Blaney, 1951 Quoted in W.B. Langbein and Kathleen T. Iseri. General
Introduction and Hydrologic Definitions.

CONTINGENT VALUATION
Method of valuation used in environmental resource
accounting involving the construction of hypothetical
markets, as reflected in its willingness to pay for
potential environmental benefits or for the avoidance
of their loss.

Reference: Asian Development Bank. 1986. PEENRA Guidebook for Environment
and Natural Resources Accounting. Manila.

CONTRACT
An agreement between the Philippine Government
represented by the DENR, and an entity or individual,
whereby the latter agrees to implement an activity or
a series of activities required to reforest a denuded
portion of the public domain and the former DENR.

Reference: DENR Memorandum Circular 1988-11. Implementing Rules and
Regulations of Reforestation Contracts. 1998.

23 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

COOPERAGE
Containers consisting of two round heads and a body
composed of staves held together with hoops, such as
barrels and kegs.

Reference: USDA. Revised 1987 USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood
Handbook: Wood as an engineering material. Agricultural Handbook 72, p 466.
Washington, DC.

CO-PRODUCTION AGREEMENT
An agreement entered into by and between a qualified
person/s and the government for the former to
develop, utilize and manage, consistent with the
principle of sustainable development, a specified
portion of the forestland.

Reference: Proposed Sustainable Forest Management Act. 1999.

CORRUGATED BOARD
The fluted paperboard after it has gone through the
corrugating operation and before it is pasted to the flat
facing board sheets.

Reference: Lavigne, J.R. 1993. Pulp and Paper Dictionary.

CRITICAL HABITAT
Area outside protected areas order RA 7586 that is
known habitats of threatened species and designated as
such based on scientific data taking into consideration
species and endemicity and richness, presence of
manmade pressures and threats.

Reference: RA 9147. Wildlife Conservation Act 2001.

CRITICAL WATERSHED
A drainage area of a river system supporting existing
and proposed hydroelectric power, irrigation works or
existing water facilities needing immediate protection
and rehabilitation to minimize erosion and improve
water yield.

Reference: (1) PD 1559. Further Amending PD 705 of the Revised Forestry Code of
the Philippines. 1978.; (2) DAO 1996- 40. Revised IRR of RA 7942 Philippine Mining
Act of 1995.

| 24Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES
Species or subspecies that is facing extremely high risk
of extinction in the wild in the immediate future.

Reference: RA 9147. Wildlife Conservation Act 2001.

CROOK
The distortion of lumber in which there is a deviation, in
a direction perpendicular to the edge, from a straight
line from end-to-end of the piece.

Reference: USDA. Revised 1987 USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood
Handbook: Wood as an engineering material. Agricultural Handbook 72, p 466.
Washington, DC.

CROSS-ARM
A piece of timber of rectangular or square section
prepared for attachment to a pole, and generally used
for the purpose of carrying wires for telecommunication
or electrical service.

Reference: 1997. Australian Standard/New Zealand Standard 4491. Glossary of
Terms in Timber related Standards.

CROSSBANDS
Layers of wood placed with a grain at right angles to
that of face plies in order to minimize shrinking and
swelling, particularly in plywood of five or more plies.

Reference: Marra, A. A. 1992. Technology of Wood Bonding: Principles and Practice.

CULL
Lumber and logs that do not meet the lowest quality
standard.

Reference: Marra, A. A. 1992. Technology of Wood Bonding: Principles and Practice.

CULTIVATED LAND
Land not classified as forest or other wooded land used
by man for agriculture or pastures.

Reference: FAO. 2001. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 Main Report. FAO
Forestry Paper No. 140. Rome.

25 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

CULTURAL ZONE
A portion of the protected area, which has significant
cultural, religious, spiritual or anthropological values
where traditional rights exist and ceremonies and
cultural practices take place.

Reference: (1) RA 7586 National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act.
1992; (2) DAO 1992-25 Implementing Rules and Regulations of NIPAS Act.

CUP
A distortion of a board in which there is a deviation flat
wise from a straight line across the width of the board.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland.

CUTTING
A portion of a board or plank that is produced by
ripping, crosscutting or both.

Reference: National Hardwood Lumber Association. 1990. Rules for the
Measurement and Inspection of Hardwood & Cypress. Tennessee.

CUTTING CYCLE
The number of years between major harvests in the
same working unit and region within a rotation.

Reference: PD 705 Revising PD 389, Otherwise Known as the Revised Forestry Code
of the Philippines. 1975.

| 26Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

D

DAILY RATED CAPACITY (DRC)
The maximum volume of output that a mill can produce
in one shift of 8 hours based on the actual performance
of the machinery/equipment. Sometimes referred to as
True Rated Capacity.

Reference: DENR Forest Management Bureau, 2003. Philippine Forestry Statistics,
Manila.

DAMAGED RESIDUAL
Synonymous to Damaged Tree.

DAMAGED TREE
Any tree injured beyond the tolerable limit.

Reference: Siapno, I. B. 1970 Handbook on Selective Logging.

DECAY
Deterioration caused by wood destroying fungi.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland.

DEFECT
Any irregularity or imperfection in a tree, log, piece,
product, or lumber that reduces the volume of sound
wood or lowers its durability, strength, or utility value.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland

DEFOLIATION
The loss, shredding or removal of leaves from a tree or
other plant especially prematurely.

Reference: Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology, Quoted in EFI-
CFTD Internal Report No. 6

27 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

DEFORESTATION
The conversion of forest to another land use or the
long-term reduction of the tree canopy cover below the
minimum 10% threshold.

Reference: FAO. 2001. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 Main Report. FAO
Forestry Paper No. 140. Rome.

DEGRADATION
A decline in the productivity of an area of land or in its
ability to support natural ecosystems or types of
agriculture.

Reference: Gilpin, A. 1996. Dictionary of Environment and Sustainable Development.
England. John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

DELAMINATION
A visible separation between plies of veneer or wood
assembly due to adhesive failure.

Reference: Sellers, T. 1985 Plywood and Adhesive Technology. Marcel Dekker
Publication.

DERIVATIVE
A substance/material extracted or taken from wildlife
such as but not limited to blood, saliva, oils, resins,
genes, gums, honey, cocoon, fur, tannin, urine, serum,
spores, pollen and the like; a compound directly or
indirectly produced from wildlife and/or products
produced from wildlife and wildlife products.

Reference: RA 9147. Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001.
Implementing Rules and Regulations.

DESERTIFICATION
The progressive destruction of a vegetative cover that
will lead in the formation of dry land condition.

Reference: Helms, J. A. 1998. The Dictionary of Forestry. Society of American
Foresters.

DETRITUS
Small pieces of dead and decomposing plants and
animals; detached and broken down organic fragments
or structure; small organic particles such as leaves and
twigs.

Reference: Helms, J. A. 1998. The Dictionary of Forestry. Society of American
Foresters.

| 28Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

DIAMETER-AT-BREAST HEIGHT (DBH)
The diameter of the stem of a standing tree measured
of 1.3 meters from the higher ground. DBH usually
implies diameter outside bark (DOB) but can be
measured as inside bark (DIB). Synonymous to diameter
breast high.

Reference: Helms, J. A. 1998. The Dictionary of Forestry. Society of American
Foresters.

DIAMETER ABOVE BUTTRESS
The diameter of a standing tree measured at 0.3 meter
from the highest buttress.

Reference: Siapno, I. 1970. Handbook on Selective Logging.

DIPTEROCARP FOREST
A forest dominated by at least 50% Dipterocarp species.

Reference: PD 705 Revising PD 389, Otherwise Known as the Revised Forestry Code
of the Philippines. 1975.

DOMESTIC WATER
A portion of runoff water intended for domestic and
industrial uses.

Reference: DENR Forest Management Bureau. Harmonization Project. Forest Service
Group. 2004.

DOMESTICATED PLANT SPECIES
Synonymous to Propagated Species.

DOMINANT TREES
Trees with crowns extending above the general level of
the crown cover and receiving full light from above and
from the sides; larger than the average trees in the
stand with crowns well-developed.

Reference: Helms, J. A. 1998. The Dictionary of Forestry. Society of American
Foresters.

29 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

DRAINAGE
Synonymous to Watershed.

DRAINAGE AREA
The horizontal projection of area from which a lake or
stream receives surface water originating as
precipitation. Also called drainage basin, river basin,
watershed area or watersheds.

Reference: DENR. Guidelines for Watershed Management and Development in the
Philippines. Manila.

DRESSED LUMBER
Lumber that is surfaced by a planing machine on one
side (SIS), two sides (S2S), one edge (S1E), two edges
(S2E), or any combination of sides and edges (S1S1E,
S2S1E, S1S2E, or S4S). Dressed lumber may also be
referred to as planed or surfaced lumber.

Reference: USDA. Revised 1987 USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood
Handbook: Wood as an engineering material. Agricultural Handbook 72, p 466.
Washington, DC.

DURABILITY
Permanence or resistance to deterioration or breakage.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland.

| 30Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

E

ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
The gradual change on the species structure and
composition of an ecological community over time.

Reference: Helms, J. A. 1998. The Dictionary of Forestry. Society of American
Foresters.

ECONOMIC INSTRUMENT
An intervention designed to influence the behavior of
those who highly regard the natural environment, utilize
it or cause adverse impacts as a side effect of their
activities, e.g. user's fee, forest charges, performance
bonds, user's right, etc.

Reference: FAO. 2001. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 Main Report. FAO
Forestry Paper No. 140. Rome.

ECOSYSTEM
A community of living organisms interacting with each
other and with their physical environment.

Reference: USDA Forestry Service. Available: http://www.fs.fed.us

ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCE
The capacity of natural system to recover from
disturbance.

Reference: UN. United Nations Statistics Division Glossary. Available:
http://www.unstats.un.org/unsd/environmentgl

ECOSYSTEM STABILITY
The capability of a natural system to apply self-
regulating mechanisms so as to return to a steady state
after an outside disturbance.

Reference: United Nations Statistics Division Glossary. Available:
http://www.unstats.un.org/unsd/envirnmentgl

ECOSYSTEM STRUCTURE
The physical and temporal distribution of various living
organisms in an ecosystem.

Reference: DENR Forest Management Bureau. Harmonization Project. Forest
Services Group. 2004.

31 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

ECOSYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY
The capacity of an ecosystem to maintain its
composition, function, and structure over time, thus
maintaining the productivity of the land and diversity of
plants and animals.

Reference: USDA Forest Service. Available: http://www.fs.fed.us.

ECOTONE
The transition zone between two adjoining
communities.

Reference: Helms, J. A. 1998. The Dictionary of Forestry. Society of American
Foresters.

ECOTOURISM
Form of sustainable tourism within a natural and
cultural heritage area where community participation,
protection and management of natural resources,
culture and indigenous knowledge and practices,
environmental education and ethics, as well as
economics.

Reference: National Symposium on Ecotourism. 1994. Philippines.

ECOZONE OR SPECIAL ZONE
Selected area with highly developed, or which have the
potential to be developed into, agro-industrial, tourist,
recreational, commercial, banking, investment and
financial centers whose meters and bounds are fixed or
determined by Presidential proclamation.

Reference: NEDA. 2002. National Framework for Physical Planning.

ELONGATION RATIO
The ratio between the diameter of a circle with the
same area as the watershed and the maximum length of
watershed (which is the distance from the outlet to the
farthest point in the watershed.) As the ratio
approaches the value of 1, the shape becomes
elongated.

Reference: DENR. 1999. Guidelines for Watershed Management and Development
in the Philippines. Manila.

| 32Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

EMISSION
Any air contaminant pollutant, gas stream or unwanted
sound from a known source that is passed into the
atmosphere.

Reference: RA 8794. Clean Air Act. 1999.

ENCROACHMENT
The act or action of using forest land contrary to the
provisions provided for in forestry laws and regulations
with regard to forest land uses.

Reference: FAO. 2000. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000. Rome.

ENDANGERED SPECIES
Species or subspecies that is not critically endangered
but whose survival in the wild is unlikely if the casual
factors continue operating. Species with small
populations that could be threatened if the environment
worsens.

Reference: RA 9147. Wildlife Conservation Act. 2001.

ENDEMIC SPECIES
Species or subspecies that are naturally occurring and
found only within specific areas in the country.

Reference: RA 9147. Wildlife Conservation Act 2001.

ENRICHMENT PLANTING
The introduction of valuable species in forest areas,
where economical species are lacking.

Reference: Agpaoa, A. et.al. 1976. Manual of Reforestation and Erosion Control for
the Philippines, Manila.

33 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

ENVIRONMENT IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS)
A document prepared and submitted by the project
proponent and/or environmental impact assessment
consultant that serves as an application for an
environmental compliance certificate. It is a
comprehensive study of the significant impacts of a
project on the environment. It includes an environmental
management plan/program that the proponent will fund
and implement to protect the environment.

Reference: RA 7942. An act Instituting a New System of Mineral Resource
Exploration on Development, Utilization and Conservation. 1995.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE (ECC)
A document issued by the DENR/EMB after positive
review of an ECC application, certifying that based on
the representations of the proponent, the proposed
project or undertaking will not cause significant
negative environmental impact. The ECC also certifies
that the proponent has complied with all the
requirements of the EIS System and has committed to
implement its approved environmental management
plan. The ECC contains specific measures and conditions
that the project proponent has to undertake before and
during the operation of a project, and in some cases,
during the project’s abandonment phase to mitigate
identified environmental impacts.

Reference: DAO 1999-53 Regulation Governing the Integrated Forest Management
Program. 1999.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA)
The process that involves evaluating and predicting the
likely impacts of a project (including cumulative impacts)
on the environment during construction, commissioning,
operation and abandonment. It also includes designing
appropriate preventive, mitigating and enhancement
measures addressing these consequences to protect the
environment and the community's welfare. The process
is undertaken by, among others, the project proponent
and/or EIA consultant, EMB, a review committee,
affected communities and other stakeholders.

Reference: DAO. 1999-53 Regulation Governing the Integrated Forest Management
Program. 1999.

| 34Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

ENVIRONMENTALLY CRITICAL AREA
Area delineated as environmentally sensitive such that
significant environmental impacts are expected if
certain types of proposed projects or programs are
located, developed or implemented in it.

Reference: DAO 2003-30 IRR of the Philippines Environmental Impact System.
2003.

ENVIRONMENTALLY CRITICAL PROJECT
Project or program that has high potential for significant
negative environmental impact.

Reference: DAO 2003-30 IRR of the Philippines Environmental Impact System.
2003.

EQUILIBRIUM MOISTURE CONTENT (EMC)
The moisture content at which wood neither gains nor
loses moisture to the surrounding air.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland.

EQUITY
Equal opportunity to resource utilization and sharing of
benefits derived there from.

Reference: DENR Forest Management Bureau. Harmonization Project. Forest
Services Group. 2004.

EVEN-AGED FOREST
Stand of trees in which there are only small differences
in age among individual trees.

Reference: DENR. Forest Management Bureau. Harmonization Project. Project
Expert Group, 2005.

EXCELSIOR
Synonymous to Wood Wool.

EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE
The area beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea
which shall not exceed beyond 200 nautical miles from
the baseline as defined under existing laws.

Reference: RA 8550. An Act Providing for the Development, Management and
Conservation of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Integrating All Laws Pertinent
Thereto, and for Other Purposes. 1998.

35 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

EXOTIC SPECIES
Synonymous to Alien Species.

EXPERIMENTAL FOREST
Forest land set aside by the DENR Secretary exclusively
for scientific, educational and research purposes.

Reference: DAO 1987-42. Experimental Forest Regulations. 1987.

EX-SITU CONSERVATION
The conservation of components of biological diversity
outside their natural habitats.

Reference: Convention of Biological Diversity. 2002.

EXTENDER
A low-cost additive such cassava flour to reduce cost
and modify glue mix properties.

Reference: Marra, A. A. 1992. Technology of Wood Bonding: Principles and Practice.

EXTERIOR PLYWOOD
Plywood designed to withstand outdoor exposure
usually bonded with phenol formaldehyde resin. Also
known as Marine Plywood.

Reference: Sellers, T. 1985 Plywood and Adhesive Technology. Marcel Dekker
Publication.

EXTRACTIVE
A compound occurring in wood but not forming part of
structural elements that can be removed with hot or
cold water, ether, benzene, or other solvents that does
not substantially degrade the wood substance.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland.

EXUDATES
The general term for substances such as gums, latex,
resins, or oleoresins derived from plants.

Reference: DENR. Forest Management Bureau. Harmonization Project. Forest
Services Group, 2004.

| 36Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

F

FALLOW
A woody vegetation resulting from the clearing of
natural forest for shifting agriculture. It is an
intermediate class between forest and non-forest land
uses. Part of the area which is not under cultivation may
have the appearance of a secondary forest.

Reference: FAO. 2001. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 Main Report. FAO
Forestry Paper No. 140. Rome.

FAST GROWING SPECIES
A tree species that grows relatively faster than common
forest trees and whose rotation age is 4 to 20 years
with a mean annual increment of at 10 cubic meter per
hectare under favorable site conditions.

Reference: DAO. 1989-01. Revised Regulations and Guidelines Governing the
Establishment and Development of Industrial Tree Plantations. 1989.

FAUNA
All species of animals found in a given area.

Reference: DENR Forest Management Bureau. Harmonization Project. Project Expert
Group. 2005.

FIBER SATURATION POINT (FSP)
The moisture content at which the cell walls are
saturated with water (bound water) and no water is held
in the cell cavities (free water) by capillary forces.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland.

FIBERBOARD
A generic term for sheet materials of widely varying
densities manufactured of refined or partially refined
wood or lignocellulosic fiber with the primary bond
derived from the interfelting of fibers.

Reference: Marra, A. A. 1992. Technology of Wood Bonding: Principles and Practice.

37 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

FIELD TESTING
Any international introduction into the environment of
a regulated article for purposes of a research and
development and for which no specific physical
containment measures area used to limit the contact of
the regulated article with, and to provide for a high level
of safety for, the general population in the environment.
Field testing may be conducted in single site of multiple
site.

Reference: RA 9147. Wildlife Conservation Act. 2001.

FIGURE
The pattern produced in wood surface by annual
growth rings, rays, knots, deviations from regular grain
such as interlocked and wavy grain, and irregular
coloration.

Reference: (1) American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards - Volume 04.10. Maryland. (2) USDA. Revised 1987. USDA. Forest
Products Laboratory Wood Handbook: Wood as an engineering material.
Agricultural Handbook 72, p 466. Washington, DC, USA.

FILLER
An additive used with adhesives to modify bonding
characteristics of the resin mix.

Reference: Department of Trade and Industry. 1992. Philippine National Standard
196. Manila.

FINISHED MARKET PRODUCT
A lumber product in relatively finished form, with little
or no further processing anticipated.

Reference: USDA. Revised 1987. USDA. Forest Products Laboratory Wood
Handbook: Wood as an engineering material. Agricultural Handbook 72, p 466.
Washington, DC.

FIRE RETARDANT
A chemical or preparation of chemicals used to reduce
flammability or to retard spread of fire over the surface.

Reference: USDA. Revised 1987. USDA. Forest Products Laboratory Wood
Handbook: Wood as an engineering material. Agricultural Handbook 72, p 466.
Washington, DC.

| 38Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

FIREWOOD
Wood intended for use as fuel. Synonymous to
Fuelwood.

Reference: Lapitan, Francisco. Forest Products Research and Development Institute.
Laguna, Philippines.

FLAKE
Small wood particle of predetermined or uniformed
thickness produced by cutting across the direction of
the grain.

Reference: USDA. Revised 1987. USDA. Forest Products Laboratory Wood
Handbook: Wood as an engineering material. Agricultural Handbook 72, p 466.
Washington, DC.

FLITCH
A portion of a log sawed on two or more sides and
intended for remanufacture into lumber and sliced or
sawed veneer.

Reference: American Society for Testing Materials. 1995. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards Volume 04.10. Maryland.

FLORA
All species of plants found in a given area, including
ferns, lycopods and mosses.

Reference: DENR Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau. 2005.

FODDERS
Coarse grasses such as maize and sorghum, shrubs,
trees, harvested with the seed and leaves green or live,
cured and used as feed for livestock or game animals
and ruminants.

Reference: FAO. 1998. Terminology for Integrated Resources Planning and
Management. Rome.

FORAGE
Browse and herbage that is available either naturally or
produced seasonally or annually on a given area or
range that can provide food for grazing animals or be
harvested for feeding.

Reference: Helms, J. A. 1998. The Dictionary of Forestry. Society of American
Foresters.

39 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

FORAGE PRODUCTION
The propagation of palatable and improved grasses,
legumes and fodder crops for the consumption of
grazing animals.

Reference: Forest Management Bureau. Harmonization Project. Project Expert
Group. 2005.

FOREST
Land with an area of more than 0.5 hectare and tree
crown cover (or equivalent stocking level) of more than
10%. The trees should be able to reach a minimum
height of 5 meters at maturity in situ. It consists either
of closed forest formations where trees of various
storeys and undergrowth cover a high proportion of the
ground or open formations with a continuous
vegetation cover in which tree crown cover exceeds
10%. Young natural stands and all plantations
established for forestry purposes, which have yet to
reach a crown density of more than 10% or tree height
of 5 meters are included under forest.

Reference: FAO. 2000. Global Forest Resource Assessment 2000. Rome.

FOREST BIOME
Reflects the ecological and physiognomic characteristics
of the vegetation and broadly corresponds to climatic
regions of the earth. In this document, it is used in
reference to boreal, temperate and tropical forest
biomes.

Reference: Proceedings of the Second Expert Meeting on Harmonizing Forest Related
Definitions for Use by Various Stakeholders. Rome. 11- 13 September 2002.

FOREST BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
The variability among forest living organisms and the
ecological processes of which they are part. It includes
diversity in forest within species, between species, and
of ecosystems and landscapes.

Reference: FAO. Experts Meeting on Harmonizing Forest related Definitions. 2003.

| 40Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

FOREST BIOTECHNOLOGY
Synonymous to Biotechnology.

FOREST CHARGES
Levies imposed by the government on naturally-
growing timber and other forest products cut/harvested
by the licensee and from plantations established in
compliance with Timber License Agreement (TLA)
reforestation obligations. The rate of which is provided
under Section 70, 71 and 72 of R.A. 7161, otherwise
known as the Forest Charges Law.

Reference: DENR Forest Management Bureau 2003. Philippine Forestry Statistics.
Manila.

FOREST CONCESSION
Any tract of forestland under license agreement, lease,
or permit.

Reference: DENR Forest Management Bureau 2003. Philippine Forestry Statistics.
Manila.

FOREST COVER
Natural and man-made forests, including forests within
wetlands and built-up areas.

Reference: FAO. 2000. Global Forest Resource Assessment 2000. Rome.

FOREST DEGRADATION
Changes within the forest whether natural or human-
induced which negatively affect the structure of
function of the stand or site, and thereby lower the
capacity to supply products and/or services resulting to
a degraded forest.

Reference: DENR Forest Management Bureau. Harmonization Project. Land Use
Group. 2004.

FOREST DISTURBANCE
Any relatively discrete event in time that disrupts
ecosystem, community or population structure and
changes resources, substrate availability, of the physical
environment.

Reference: Helms, J. A. 1998. The Dictionary of Forestry. Society of American
Foresters.

41 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

FOREST ECOSYSTEM
A dynamic complex of plant, animal and
microorganism communities and their abiotic
environment interacting as a functional unit, where
trees are a key component of the system. Humans, with
their cultural, economic and environmental needs are
integrated.

Reference: FAO. Experts Meeting on Harmonizing Forest-related Definitions. 2003.

FOREST FRAGMENTATION
(1) Break up of a forest landscape by various forest and
non-forest uses. (2) Any process that results in the
conversion of formerly continuous forest into patches
of forest separated by non-forested lands.

Reference: (1) Helms, J. A. 1998. The Dictionary of Forestry. Society of American
Foresters. (2) Proceedings of the Second Expert Meeting on Harmonizing Forest-
Related Definitions for Use by Various Stakeholders. Rome. 11- 13 September 2002.

FOREST IMPROVEMENT
Changes within the forest, which positively affect the
structure or function of the stand or site, and thereby
increase the capacity to supply products and
services.

Reference: FAO. 2000. Global Forest Resource Assessment 2000. Rome.

FOREST INFLUENCES
All the modifying effects of forest cover on the
environment, particularly on water supplies, soil, and
microclimate.

Reference: Helms, J. A. 1998. The Dictionary of Forestry. Society of American
Foresters.

FOREST LAND
Includes public forest, permanent forest or forest
reserves, and forest reservations.

Reference: PD 1559. Further Amending PD 705, otherwise Known as The Revised
Forestry Code of the Philippines. 1978.

| 42Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

FOREST LAND GRAZING LEASE AGREEMENT
A long-term privilege granted by the state to a person
to occupy and possess in consideration of a specified
rentals and regulation, any forest land of the public
domain found suited for grazing purposes, in order to
undertake any authorized activity.

Reference: MAO 1982-50. Regulations Governing the Administration, Management
and Disposition of Grazing Lands, Communal Grazing Lands and Forestlands used for
Grazing Purposes. 1982.

FOREST LAND GRAZING MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
A production sharing agreement between a qualified
person, association and/or corporation and the
government to develop, manage and utilize grazing
lands.

Reference: DAO. 1999-36. Revised Rules and Regulations Governing the
Administration, Management, Development and Disposition of Forest Lands Used for
Grazing Purposes. 1999.

FOREST MANAGEMENT
The process of planning and implementing practices for
stewardship and use of forest land aimed at fulfilling
relevant ecological, economic, and social functions of
the forest in a sustainable manner.

Reference: FAO. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2003. Rome.

FOREST MANAGEMENT UNIT
A clearly defined forest area, managed under a set of
objectives and according to a long-term management plan.

Reference: FAO. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2002. Rome.

FOREST OCCUPANT
A person actually and directly occupying and/or
cultivating forest land including civil, military and other
forest reservations.

Reference: DAO. 1988-75. Guidelines and Procedures on the Inventory of Forest
Occupants. 1988.

43 | Philippine Official Reference for Forest-Related Terms and Definitions

FOREST PRODUCTS
Goods and services derived from the forest such as but
not limited to timber, lumber, veneer, plywood,
fiberboard, pulpwood, firewood, bark, tree top, resin
gum, wood oil, honey, beeswax, nipa, rattan or other
forest growth such as grass, shrub and flowering plant,
the associated water, fish, game, scenic, historical, and
educational.

Reference: DAO. 1987-80. Regulations Governing the Measurement, Assessment
and Payment of Forest Charges on Timber and Other Forest Products. 1987.

FOREST PRODUCTIVITY
The rate at which biomass is produced per unit area by
any class of organisms or the relative capacity of an
area to sustain a supply of goods or services in the long
run.

Reference: DAO. 1987-80. Regulations Governing the Measurement, Assessment
and Payment of Forest Charges on Timber and Other Forest Products. 1987.

FOREST REGULATION
The technical aspect of controlling stock, harvests,
growth, and yields to meet a certain management
objective.

Reference: Helms, J. A. 1998. The Dictionary of Forestry. Society of American
Foresters.

FOREST RESERVATION
Forest land which has been reserved by the President
of the Philippines for any specific purpose or purposes.

Reference: PD 705 Revising PD 389, Otherwise Known as The Revised Forestry
Code of the Philippines. 1975.

FOREST RESERVE
Land of the public domain which has been a subject of
the present system of classification and declared to be
needed for forest purposes. Also known as Permanent
Forest.

Reference: PD 1559. Further Amending PD 705, otherwise Known as The Revised
Forestry Code of the Philippines. 1978.